Nanomedicine in oncology potentiates great innovations, by the synergy of two or more forms of treatment and diagnostic techniques, aka theranostics. Specifically, two dimensional (2D) materials are considered as promising nanotheranostic tools since they can act as imaging agents for cancer detection/visualization with customized therapeutic properties and/or as vectors for controlled drug/gene release. They have outstanding properties, such as light weight, flexibility, high surface-to-volume ratio, highly efficient light absorption and high reactivity to high energy excitations. Hence, 2D materials enable the combination of multiple imaging modalities and therapeutic functions, such as passive/active targeting of tumors, and stimuli-responsive, controlled drug release, into a single nanoplatform. The symposium focuses on the state-of-the-art research of 2D materials in theranostics, extending to large-scale material production for biological applications, functionalization and conjugation, integration with other nanomaterials, applications to cancer treatment and other novel applications, such as anti-viral and anti-bacterial ones. The symposium addresses the fundamental principles of 2D materials; their interaction with biological systems, including safety assessment (a prerequisite for the successful translation to clinical research); their hazard potential, including the presence of endotoxins, bio-distribution, degradation and excretion from the body. Contributions on graphene-like (graphene, graphene oxide, boron nitride) and beyond-graphene materials, (transition metal dichalcogenides, MXenes, black phosphorus and more) will be considered.

2D materials graphene optical properties radiation effects Society